(Canton, N.Y.)- The SUNY Canton baseball team beat SUNYIT 5-3 in the second game of a doubleheader on Tuesday to earn a split with the Wildcats in Canton.  SUNYIT won the first game 6-0.

The Roos jumped out quickly in the nightcap posting two runs in the bottom half of the first inning when Michael Zelyez (Brasher Falls, N.Y.), Dillon James (Ottawa, Ontario) and Evan Hammond (Ottawa, Ontario) each laced a single in the Roos’ first three at-bats.  James and Hammond eventually came around to score to put the Roos ahead 2-0.

The Wildcats rallied and took a one-run lead at 3-2 with a three-run fourth inning.  The Roos answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the stanza.  Zelyez knocked through his second single in the game and after advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from James, scored on an RBI-single from Hammond.  Hammond and Tom Darling (Oswego, N.Y.) also scored in the decisive fifth inning.

Will McIntyre (Ottawa, Ontario) won his first game in a Roos’ uniform as the freshman struck out three batters and scattered four hits over five innings.  Tyler Durward (Ottawa, Ontario) earned the save as the junior pitched two effective innings retiring six of the seven batters he faced.  Durward had two strikeouts and allowed just one walk and no hits.

Nick Belile (Norwood, N.Y.) and Jeff Lake (Battersea, Ontario) also had two singles apiece for the Roos in the win.

In the opener, Josh Soffer (Ottawa, Ontario) took the loss on the mound as the Roos’ strikeout leader fanned nine batters and gave up eight hits and three walks in seven innings.

James was 1-for-4 with a double and Belile, Jordan Hunneyman (Redwood, N.Y.), and Brandon Kushner (Ajax, Ontario) each added singles for SUNY Canton (4-27).

John LeClair and Ethan Marr each doubled for the Wildcats (18-12) in game one and Michael McCrone added a solo home run in game two.